


Ruined

by loveandwar007



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, it has a happy ending i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 05:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8044024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveandwar007/pseuds/loveandwar007
Summary: "No one deserved to have this done to them. Least of all her. Her sporadic bouts of madness drove him over the edge sometimes, but did he hate her for them? No. Dear God, no. His feelings for her couldn’t have been any further from hatred."In a flash, an old adversary returns to Marco's right arm, and this time Star has gotten caught in the crossfire. When they individually struggle with what this means for their murky future, it's only when they face each other that the answer becomes clearer.





	Ruined

_Splash!_

Marco didn’t know how long he’d spent in various washrooms around the castle, nor how many times he’d thrown water on his face to relax. He just wandered from room to room ever since he was cleared to go from the infirmary. He counted seventeen bathrooms total, and none of them had toilets. No wonder Star had always been fascinated by the one in his house. In fact the servants had to install one specifically for him and his parents. Mewmans were weird.

Cupping his hands under the running water again, his eyes flickered to his right hand in particular. It didn’t tingle or prickle threateningly, nor was it especially warm or cold compared to the other. It felt perfectly normal. Abandoning yet another splash of cool water, knowing it wasn’t going to help anything anyway, Marco shut the sink off and stared up at his reflection in the large ornate mirror. Using his left hand, he traced the length of his right arm gingerly, waiting for some sort of reaction--a flinch or involuntary reflex.

Nothing. In fact, if anyone wasn’t privy to the events of a couple days prior, they would never guess anything had happened at all. If they looked at Marco anyway.

_“How do you know it won’t come back?”_

_“We don’t. It is an ancient magic, a powerful hex far beyond our understanding, in a language long dead.”_

_Latin,_ Marco thought bitterly, reflecting back on the drivel the Mewni doctors had thrown at him. _The spell was in Latin. Idiots._ They were supposed to be professionals, weren’t they?

_“We cannot dispel of it permanently, not even by amputation. It has taken root. It’s a part of you now. It has been for some time.”_

For two years, to be exact. A week after she dropped from the sky into his hypersafe bubble, she tried to fix his broken arm with magic. It backfired. Then _it_ started talking to him. Putting thoughts in his head. No--amplifying and exaggerating thoughts that were already there. Using his anger, his self-doubts and crippling anxiety against him. Telling him that giving into his urges to lash out violently was the answer.

_“All we can do is give you these--”_

He fisted the container of yellow-colored capsules in the pocket of his red hoodie. At least he wouldn’t get them confused with his acne medication.

_“--to bury the symptoms. It will not cure you. We're not sure if anything ever will.”_

_“I don’t care what I have to do. I don’t care how long it takes, and I don’t even care if I wind up dying in the process! Just don’t let me hurt her again!”_

He slammed his hands down on the either side of the sink, bowing his head over the basin, teeth clenched behind his lips. If they looked at Marco, nobody would ever guess anything had happened.

Star’s condition was a completely different story.

She hadn’t wanted to give her all in that fight. Taking on monsters, Ludo, Toffee, any of those guys--well sure, she never second-guessed going for the most destructive spell she could dream up. But she could never hurt Marco in that way. Not even a Marco who completely lost himself to corruption, who wasn’t fully aware of his actions, who attacked her over and over again. She had still never _ever_ wanted him to be on the receiving end of her wand. And even when she’d had no choice but to fight back, he bested her easily.

Because her heart wasn’t in it. The wand knew this, and she knew it. Star’s heart only saw the young man the appendage hosted, feeding on him like a parasite, a virus that would never die. And because of that, she nearly had.

He didn’t remember what had brought this on, and quite frankly he didn’t even care anymore. It was probably a combination of things: Not achieving the SAT score for the college he wanted, falling short of his black belt due to inability to focus his scattered mind, and being dragged on adventure after adventure in the midst of it all by the princess from another dimension.

Not to mention blowing up at said princess when she wanted to celebrate getting her shiny Earth driver’s license and wound up crashing his dad’s company car. Even his dad wasn’t as mad about it as Marco had been--positively raging at Star about her complete lack of impulse control or something. He hadn’t gotten mad at her like that in a  _l_ _ong_ time.

That was the last thing he could recall. But it didn’t matter. None of that stupid trivial stuff mattered anymore. No one deserved to have this done to them. Least of all her. Her sporadic bouts of madness drove him over the edge sometimes, but did he _hate_ her for them? No. Dear God, no. His feelings for her couldn’t have been any further from hatred.

_“She can’t ever get hurt by me again. Understand?”_

_“We cannot promise that. And neither can you.”_

Why her parents were letting him stay in their castle, Marco would never know. He was just taking up space now during Star’s lengthy recovery. Every time he considered the possibility that the king and queen actually _didn’t_ blame him for almost killing their only daughter, he let out a grim laugh. There was literally no one else to blame for why she was lying in that bed.

And the further he stayed away from her room, the better for everyone.

* * *

“So you’re saying there’s nothing we can do?”

Angie Diaz sounded on the verge of tears, the teacup in her lap rattling in its saucer. Her husband reached over, placing his hand on hers as they both stared imploringly at King River and Queen Moon. The monarchs glanced at each other sideways, uncertain of what to say next.

Indeed, this situation had shaken all of them to the core, if inviting their daughter’s host family into their exclusively private tea parlor was any indication. Rafael’s normally smiling face was grim with worry, River jiggled his knee nervously while his hands fumbled, and even as Moon held her own teacup, her pinkie was more at seventy-five degrees than the usual perfect ninety.

“I don’t believe so,” the king replied, clearing his throat. “Your son fell victim to a rather unpredictable curse.”

“Curse?!” Rafael exclaimed, gripping hands with Angie even tighter.

“Erm--well, it’s not really my forte,” River covered up hastily, gesturing to his wife beside him. “Magic is the Queen’s speciality. It’s her bloodline the Wand descends from-”

“Alright River, they understand.” Moon set her cup down after a dainty sip and folded her gloved hands in front of her. “This monster arm isn’t just some playful jinx that can vanish with a wave of a wand and a few choice words. It’s...well, it’s an arm. And while it has a mind of its own, it still operates like any normal appendage--one wills it to move and so forth.” She looked between the petrified parents seriously. “In this case, the creature seems to feed on your son’s negative emotions.”

Angie clutched at her chest as she wiped her eyes. “Well, he’s sixteen. He’s going through changes, he’s worrying about his future. Of _course_ he’s going to have bad days.”

“Are you saying this will happen _every_ time?” Rafael piped up.

“No!” the king and queen spoke in unison, shaking their heads vigorously.

“Heavens no, we’d have to take immediate drastic action if we felt he was in danger of that!”

“What kind of drastic action?!” Angie cried out.

“River, you need to _stop talking_ ,” Moon hissed between her teeth, “You’re frightening them.” Not that she didn’t believe they had reason to be frightened, and she certainly didn’t blame them for their less than composed reactions. Forty-eight hours ago, it had taken all of the queen’s willpower not to break down when it appeared her only child was at death’s door. She took a deep breath, “He is right about one thing. It’s unpredictable. It will have to be dealt with whenever the time arises.”

Rafael moved his arm around Angie’s shoulders as she covered her crumpled face with her hand, whispering gentle words of comfort in his native Spanish. Moon instinctively reached for River’s hand as well, though her face remained steadfast.

“I’m sure the children never imagined this would happen,” the king broke the silence timidly. “My little Star...her heart is always in the right place, even when she acts foolishly. I’m certain she believed she’d completely reversed it the first time around.” He looked to Moon for validation, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly as she laced her fingers through his.

“Oh, we know,” Rafael nodded assuringly.

“We don’t blame her, we--we never have.” Angie smiled through trembling lips, “She’s a wonderful girl. So vibrant and loving and full of life.” She paused, “She’ll be okay, won’t she?”

“Yes,” Moon replied, closing her eyes. “She’ll recover completely, but it will take some time. I expect she’ll miss school for at least a week.”

“We’ll take care of everything, don’t worry,” Angie said quickly. “Unless...you feel she shouldn’t come back with us.”

“We wouldn’t dream of ripping her from you,” River said. “She loves it on Earth, and you love having her. Why fix what’s not broken, as the saying goes?”

“But Marco,” Rafael interjected, his brown eyes wide with immense concern. “What if he--?”

“He won’t.” Angie’s face suddenly hardened with resolve, “He’s alright now. It won’t happen again.”

“ _Querida--_ ”

“We’ll talk to him--we’ll talk to both of them.” She leaned forward in her seat, as if to emphasize her point. “This _will not_ happen again. You have our word, Your Majesties.”

River pressed his lips into a thin line underneath his thick blonde mustache, surveying both of them. She was making a promise she could not keep, that Marco himself would not be able to keep. But he couldn’t tell Star to leave Earth, no matter how much the small voice in the back of his mind was telling him otherwise. In the past two years, he had never seen her happier.

And the boy...he was everything to her. It would break her heart if she never saw him again.

He gave them a small nod, “In the meantime, I suggest we all get some sleep. I daresay none of us have caught a wink in some time.” He rose from his chair before he remembered something else, holding out a hand to stop the Diazes. “Oh, and should you see Marco...ask him to please go to Star. She’s been asking for him constantly when she’s awake.”

Rafael and Angie shared a sad glance before nodding, then linked hands as they exited the parlor. Their indistinct whispers were heard once they made it through the doorway, no doubt discussing the decision to let Star remain with them. Ultimately it was up to their children, simple as that. But the longer Marco kept his distance, the more it seemed he at least had made his choice. And that worried the king more than anything.

“Shall we?” He offered his arm to his wife, ready to retire for the evening.

“I’ll be along,” Moon answered briefly, rising from her own seat. She bent down to kiss his cheek. A rare display of affection these terrifying events, such as nearly losing their daughter, had brought on. “Don’t wait up for me.”

* * *

Two thousand, six hundred and forty-four. That’s how many stars there were on the underside of the canopy that hung over Star’s bed. When she got sick as a young child, she’d counted them then as well to pass the time. _Still the same number_ , Star thought nostalgically.

As night fell over the kingdom, they began to twinkle just like the ones outside. She felt at peace, watching the image of a shooting star streak across the magical canopy. It was only a week ago that she and Marco had been lying on the dewy grass in Echo Creek Park, shoulder to shoulder as they watched the stars back on Earth.

 _Marco..._ And now she was saddened again, so much so that not even her childhood bed comforted her anymore. Moving as slowly and carefully as she could, she rolled over onto her stomach, bunching her pillow up in her arms. Every part of her body was in pain, even the slightest movement pulled a torn muscle, and yet somehow she had survived. She was going to live. _But where’s Marco?_

Her eyes landed on the wand sitting silently on her nightstand, glinting in the moonlight as it awaited her beck and call. As she and her abilities matured, the wand began to mature along with her. The hilt was longer and solid gold, the circular head now adorned with a gold star surrounded by a blue crescent moon and the wings had disappeared. She missed the wings. It sort of felt like in losing them, she lost a part of herself. A simpler, more innocent part that she could never get back.

Especially not after this. When she saw firsthand what the delayed consequences of her recklessness were, and what they meant for someone she truly cared for. Star felt her chest tighten--for once not from the wounds that covered her chest, the left side of her stomach and both arms. This ache was deeper. It seared through her very core and spread, causing a lump in her throat and making her nose and eyes prickle.

 _This wasn’t supposed to happen. I’d just wanted to fix his stupid arm, I never thought it’d leech off of him like this._ She sniffled noisily. _He’s put up with a lot from me. But he’s never gonna forgive me for this one._

Taking the wand in her hands, she brought it to her lips and whispered a locator spell. A light beamed upward from the head and spilled across her starry awning. Images of an aerial view of the castle interior shifted across like a slideshow, and Star used her hand to wave the various floors away until she found what--or rather _who_ \--she was looking for. She lowered her eyes despondently, flicking her wand again so the map would vanish. Marco was back in his room in the East Wing Tower. He wasn’t coming tonight.

She didn’t even look up when the door to her bedroom opened, knowing it wasn’t him. But the voice that did come from the doorway certainly caught her attention.

“Leave us,” her mother ordered the guards outside the princess’ room, and they bowed quickly before scurrying off. Star nearly tossed the wand back on the nightstand as Moon entered, practically gliding over to her bed gracefully. But she dropped her poise and elegance the moment she sat beside her on the bed, her stern face relaxed into its own version of affection and worry. “How are you tonight?”

Star shrugged, “Okay, I guess.” She gazed at her expectantly as the queen examined the deep wound on her chest, bruised and twisted like some sort of ghastly tattoo. She had let her silver periwinkle hair down for the evening, and now the resemblance between mother and daughter was instantly striking.

Moon looked quickly over her shoulder, making sure they were indeed alone before continuing. “Are you sure you want me to do this? It’s going to be very painful, and you’ll be sore for days afterward.”

Star nodded, “If it’ll help me heal faster, do it.”

Her mother inhaled deeply, removing the long blue gloves from her hands as Star kicked off the covers, exposing her injuries. Moon stared at the back of her hands, concentrating with all her might until a warm glow emitted from her palms. Part of the condition of passing the wand down to the crowned princess on her fourteenth birthday was that the reigning queen needed to have mastered wandless magic before relinquishing it. And though she didn’t often see it, Star knew her mother was extremely powerful--not like the explosiveness of her own inherent magic, but with a quiet beauty and dignity.

Star gasped aloud a moment later as the sharpest pain she’d ever known welled up in her chest wound. Moon’s glowing hands hovered over her as she lay on her back, her head thumped against the pillows as she whimpered. Little by little, not daring to rush the process, she felt new skin begin to stretch over the gnarled flesh of Marco’s handiwork.

_No, it wasn’t him. It was the monster arm. He was corrupted. Marco would never hurt me on purpose._

The agony of her mother’s healing spell brought Star back to that night. The arm had grabbed her, flung her against the ground multiple times, tore her apart physically as she felt bones crack and skin split. And yet all she could manage was a few wand blasts, punches and kicks. It wasn’t just another creature she needed to take down, it was _Marco_ . His brown eyes blazed with violent ire, his tan skin sunken and tinged grey, his mouth curled into a sneer. It wasn’t him--but at the same time it _was_. And she had been conflicted about using all her strength against him, which had lead to her downfall.

“Shh, _shh_ , it’s okay…” Moon soothed, her voice wavering as she lifted up Star’s nightgown to reach the wounds on her stomach. The tentacle had squeezed her hard, wrapping itself around her middle to toss her aside. All the while, Star had been staring up into Marco’s wild chocolate eyes, begging him to stop because she refused to fight him.

She bit back a shriek as the spell weaved its way around her middle, Moon having abandoned using both hands to clasp one of them with her daughter’s. Star leaned her head further into the pillows as her back arched, feeling tears trail into her hairline.

“Don’t worry about me, just keep going!” she choked out, crushing her mother’s fingers. She’d brought this on herself. Everything about this was her own fault. This process was excruciating, but she couldn’t say she didn’t deserve it.

 _She_ was the one who had done this to Marco.

“Good girl, just your arms left now,” the queen whispered, spreading the healing glow along Star’s arm that held hands with hers. This didn’t hurt nearly as much, so Star was able to untense and catch her breath while watching her mother work. But she couldn’t even focus on that, no matter how much it fascinated her. She wanted to get up out of this bed. She wanted to find him, demand to know why he didn’t come visit her before crushing him in a fierce hug. But she couldn’t, and she hated it.

“Marco…” she muttered, staring out the window again. Moon lowered her hands as she completed the spell, reaching for the jar of cooling ointment.

“I know, darling.” Star looked back around at her as she rubbed the oil on her arms, carrying on conversation to distract her from the stinging. “He’s shown no sign of relapse, but the doctors have taken the necessary precautions.” She moved on to address Star’s deeper injuries, “It’s not just you, Star--he’s avoiding all of us.”

“No, it’s definitely me,” Star insisted. “Trust me, I know him better than you. He’s blaming himself for all this.”

Moon looked directly into her daughter’s eyes, hesitant of the next words she was about to say. But if she didn’t hear it from her, she’d hear it from someone else in time. “Your father and I were advised to lock him up.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“An impulsive reaction to the ‘attempted assassination of the Princess.’ Naturally, we declined immediately.”

Star felt her blood boil--the thought of Marco serving a life sentence in the dungeon made her sick to her stomach. “That’s the _stupidest_ thing I’ve ever heard! If anyone should be locked up, it’s me!”

“No one is getting locked up,” her mother said firmly, corking the ointment bottle with a flourish before setting it back on the nightstand. “And quite frankly, I don’t think anyone can punish Marco worse than he’s punishing himself right now.”

“But h-he--” the princess’ voice caught in her throat as her vision began to blur, wiping her hand under her nose. She bet he was laying wide awake staring at the ceiling. Or tossing and turning as he was haunted by whatever that _thing_ was doing to him inside. “It’s not his fault, Mom…” she whimpered helplessly.

Moon shifted forward on the bed, pulling her daughter into a careful yet close hug. “What’s done is done. All you know is that he was manipulated into attacking you. And all _he_ knows is that you nearly died by his hand. Because of that, he refuses to face you.” All Star could do was shake her head as she coughed out weak sobs against her shoulder, Moon stroking her long hair gently. “I know how much you care for him and don’t want to see him suffering anymore. But we cannot force him to come to you.”

“You...you know how much I care about him?” Star pulled back slightly, letting her mother push her bangs back from her eyes. “What’s Dad been telling you?”

“Plenty,” Moon sniffed out a laugh, and Star’s hearts bloomed red. “He says he’ll make a fine prince consort someday. ‘ _A brain like his? The kingdom will run like clockwork!_ ’”

“Daddy,” Star moaned as she palmed her forehead in embarrassment. “It’s not like that, we...well, like earlier this week we went to a movie. Marco said it was a date, even though we were just doing something we normally do as friends. We held hands--that was nice.” She nibbled on her lower lip, compensating for the fact that her mother would not approve of her chewing on the wand. “It was so confusing ‘cause I thought dating was all about romantic stuff, like candlelit dinners and going to balls together. Marco and I are happy just hanging and eating nachos, like always. We’re just...starting to look at each other differently, I guess.” She snorted, “Sorry, that probably makes no sense.”

“No, it does,” Moon replied. “I’ll admit most of these Earth customs are really... _unusual_.” She wrinkled her nose as some more unpleasant ones came to mind. “But I remember what it was like being new to love. It can be daunting, so partaking in something comfortable and familiar makes it easier for both of you. For your father and I, it was archery and riding warnicorns, but same principle.”

Star smiled through her dewed eyes. Was she really talking with her mother about boys? She figured Ludo would slay her dead before _this_ ever happened. “So...you approve? I mean, you like Marco?”

“Well, I _don’t_ like him deliberately ignoring you when you’ve both been through a traumatic ordeal.” There was the tone Star was used to hearing from her mother--the stern, irritated queenly voice. “But on the whole, I believe he’s good for you. Whether or not he’s future king material remains in question, but I suppose we have years before we need to worry about that.” Her attention went back to Star’s mending wounds, “Now if the ointment’s dried, I think it’s time for sleep.”

“I’ve been sleeping _all day_ ,” Star rolled her eyes as she slid under the blankets, Moon tucking them in around her, “It’s so _boring_.” She reached out and grabbed her mother’s wrist as she thought of something else. “Mom, when I get better...you and Dad are gonna let me go back to Earth, right?”

Moon nodded slowly, “Obviously we’ll be keeping a closer eye on you two, and Mr. and Mrs. Diaz have agreed to as well.” She leaned over and kissed Star on the forehead, something she hadn’t done since she was a very little girl, and Star looked slightly shocked. “But the choice is up to you and Marco. You know what is best for each other more than anyone else.”

Star’s face grew more serious and businesslike, “Then tomorrow, you need to tell him--”

“--to come see you,” Moon finished for her, “Should our paths cross, I will. I promise, sweetheart.”

* * *

“Marco!”

Of all the corridors in all the castle, King Butterfly just happened to walk down his. Marco instantly halted mid-step at the deep booming voice calling him from behind. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” he said stiffly.

“Where have you been, my boy?” the stout monarch asked as he approached, his staff clanking against the marble floor. “We’ve been searching all over for you.”

“Oh you know, taking the grand tour,” Marco answered nonchalantly. “Admiring the gardens, checking out the armory…” _Staying as far away from your daughter as possible so I don’t risk killing her again._

“For three days? That seems a bit excessive.” River cocked his head to the side, “Granted, the castle is a marvel, but not that much.” He nodded with a faraway look, “I remember when Moon’s father first showed me around. He droned on and on for hours about all the kings that came before me, while all I wanted to do was get out and watch the jousting match.” He propped his staff against the wall before folding his arms over his chest. “So I won’t do the same to you. I’ll get right to the point.”

“I know what you’re gonna say,” Marco said dismissively, shoving his hands deep into his hoodie pockets, leaning himself against the wall with his profile facing the king. “How’s Star doing?”

“She seems much better today. Woke up, had breakfast, now I expect she’s playing with her Wand. Can’t do much else confined to that bed.”

“Aw man, I bet she hates that,” Marco chuckled a bit. Star having to stay in one place for longer than an hour? She couldn’t even do it in the classroom.

“Marco,” River looked at him poignantly, “She’s heartbroken that you won’t speak to her.”

“I knew it,” Marco laughed ruefully, shaking his head. “It’s a trap--you’re trying to trick me into going to see her.”

“I’m only speaking as a father concerned for his daughter,” he went on imploringly, “Therefore, I’m also concerned for you.”

“No offense,” Marco cut in sharply, glancing at him out the corner of his eye. “But you’re not my dad _or_ my king, so I don’t have to listen to you.”

“But you _do_ have to listen to us.”

Marco jumped and turned to the right, seeing his mother standing there with her hands on her hips, his father right behind her. What was this, an intervention or an ambush?

“Did you think you could hide around the castle forever?” Angie went on flatly. “You knew we’d find you eventually.”

“Mom...” Marco trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck as a lump rose in his throat.

“Go talk to Star.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can,” Rafael stated. “You think pushing her away is going to protect her, but it is only hurting both of you.”

“There’s nothing you two haven’t been able to talk through before,” Angie said more softly.

“Do you really think this is the same as fighting over a sandwich?!” Marco exploded. “Or her sleep spelling at three in the morning, or racking up our cell phone bill?!” He swiped his hand impatiently over his eyes as they welled up. “She almost _died_ because of me!”

“But she didn’t,” River said calmly. “She’s still here, and she wants you.”

“What are you going to do when she comes back to our house, ignore her for the rest of your life?” Rafael asked, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

“W-wait, y--” Marco glanced from his parents to River, “You can’t seriously be letting her go back and live with us.”

“There’s no one else I trust her with but you,” River said without pause.

Now Marco was positive he’d entered some bizarro dimension. Yes--in retrospect, two years of nothing but unwavering loyalty and friendship should cancel out a single instance of animosity. But this was a _big_ instance.

_What if this happens again? What if she’s not so lucky next time?_

“I’m a threat...I’m dangerous now.” Sudden realization hit him, stabbing his heart like a white hot knife.

_You’re finally a bad boy, Diaz. Was it worth it?_

“No, you’re not,” Angie whispered. She took his right arm in her hands and stared down at it, as if waiting for a reaction. Marco let out the breath he’d been holding once nothing happened, and Angie smiled sadly up at him, cupping her hand around his face. “You’re my son. Who loves with his whole heart, and feels with every fiber of his being.”

“And who _we’ll_ love, no matter what,” Rafael added, ruffling his hair affectionately as Marco embraced his mother. Just hearing and feeling his parents’ assurance was almost enough to convince him that what they were saying was true.

Almost.

“So you’re still gonna let her stay in the same house as me?” he asked thickly.

“Marco, all parties have reached an agreement. Except two.” River gave him a knowing look. “There’s only one way to resolve that.”

Marco closed his eyes, steeling himself. The last time he saw her, she was lying motionless on the grass after he came around: Bruised, skin splattered with blood, barely breathing. Now he had no choice but to confront the consequences. For better or worse. “Where--?”

“Top of the Southwest Tower,” the king replied, a satisfied grin crossing his face.

* * *

The rising sun’s rays bathed the doorway so perfectly when Marco entered Star’s bedroom, it was like something out of a fairy tale. Until he squinted and mumbled something about decorative drapes rich people never actually used for their intended purpose as he shuffled his feet along the floor.

Star didn’t care though. The tiny unicorns she’d been levitating over her head fell to the rug and scampered out the open door when she saw him. She dropped the wand onto the blue bedspread with fuchsia hearts, her baby blue eyes lighting up like fireworks. Three days was way too long to be apart from Marco.

“Hey!” she cried out happily, making to leap out of the bed and run to him. Only to crumple back onto the mattress clutching her sore waist, “ _Owww_...recovery is seriously the worst.”

He didn’t acknowledge her. He didn’t even look in her direction as he kept examining his surroundings. “Is it me, or does this actually look _smaller_ than your room on Earth?”

Star’s beaming toothy smile deflated. “Uh, probably? You know, living away from home means I can do my room up however I want.”

Taken aback was an understatement. Of everything she expected him to do when he finally came to her, this didn’t even make the list. Hold her, apologize profusely, list off every medical tip he could think of while rubbing oil on her wounds--heck, even just making eye contact--that was the Marco she knew and loved. Not casually making snide remarks about her room decor. Star pursed her lips. _Actually I take it back, that sounds like Marco too._

“So...how are you?” This was crazy. Since when did she get nervous talking to him? Sure this might have created a nasty bump in their relationship, and the guilt was eating away at Star like an army of termites, but they should still be able to have a normal conversation with each other. Right?

He shrugged with his back to her, staring at the view of Mewni from her window. “I’m alive and functioning. You?”

“Same. Mom cast a healing spell on me last night and it _really_ helped.” She pulled down the collar on her nightgown to show off her upper chest, now scarred over with repaired skin. It still looked severe, but not as deathly as before. “Once I’m not in pain anymore, I should be able to go home!” She stopped, “Well--to _your_ home, I mean--my Earth home.”

At that, Marco finally turned his head part-way towards her. His lips parted as if he was about to say something, then closed again. Now Star’s smile vanished completely. Something was definitely going on with him, that he didn’t even want to share with her.

“Marco,” she began in a low tone, sliding forward on the bed gingerly. “You know me, I’m always the first to wanna go ‘okay, that happened’ and move on with our lives like normal. But...we need to talk about this one.”

“What’s there to talk about?” he said, his own voice uncharacteristically huskier than usual. “You just said it: It happened. I can’t take it back. I can’t undo any of this, no matter how much I want to.”

“That’s _why_ we have to talk about it though,” Star sighed out irritably, shifting her head around to meet his eyes, but he stubbornly kept them fixed on the window. “We have to know where we stand, where we go from here!” She assumed she was going first, biting down on her lip. “I don’t hate you for this, Marco. I’m not angry, I’m not even a little annoyed, I’m--I’m just scared!”

Marco’s shoulders tensed, his jaw set. “You _are_ scared of me.”

“No! I’m scared _for_ you-- _ow!_ ” She screamed out, pain shooting through her wand arm as she slammed her fists down on the comforter. There was a knock on the door and she huffed loudly.

“Your Highness?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine!” Star yelled back to the guard outside her bedroom, “Just--go arrest something!” She massaged her tricep as she stared at Marco. He had reflexively glanced over when she cried out, then looked away just as quickly. Letting out a long frustrated sigh, she bunched the blankets up in her fists. “Your move, Diaz.”

“What?”

“Where do you stand?”

“Honestly?” Marco looked down at his feet, shifting his weight between them. Star nodded as she sat up hopefully. She was about to see him again--the _real_ him, not this moody one that avoided her. The Marco who made nachos for her and showed her flashy movies and fought evil alongside her. Her best friend in any and every dimension. The karate boy who stole her--

“I don’t think you should come back with us.”

And the other shoe dropped. She heard her heart crack, shattering into a million pieces. She stared at him as if she'd never seen him before. He was joking. He had to be. He couldn’t really think this was the solution, separating for good. Star sat there shocked still, her eyes large and pooling with tears as her breath came out in short gasps. “Wh--really? So--so that’s it? We’re _done_ , just like that?”

“What else am I supposed to do, Star?” He stood his ground, yet hearing her voice strangled with tears nearly broke him.

“You could start by looking at me!” She strode the passionate line between yelling furiously and dissolving into weeping, crawling closer to the end of the bed.

“ _No_ ,” Marco raised his voice to go toe-to-toe with her.

“You can’t just ignore that this happened! You can’t just tell me to pack up and leave!” She inhaled sharply, “And you can’t just walk away and pretend the last two years didn’t exist. It doesn’t work that way, we’ve been through too much.”

“We’ve been through enough! Next time, one of us is gonna wind up dead for sure! I’m just removing myself from the equation before I ruin your future...Princess.”

That did it. “ _Marco Diaz, look at me!_ ”

It was so silent that her scream echoed in the dome chamber, and Marco froze. Maybe it was the sharpness of her command, or because this moment was inevitable. Or maybe because even though he was bound and determined to leave her for her own safety, he could never erase the past two years from his memory. She wouldn't leave his mind even if he wanted to forget. His mother was right--he loved with all his heart and cared too much.

For that reason, or perhaps all those reasons, he finally obeyed. She was pale, even paler than usual. Her eyes boring into his were exceptionally bright due to the tears clinging to her lashes. The thick tracks on her cheeks made her pink hearts look broken down the middle, and she’d drawn her knees up to her chest like a little girl being punished.

And Marco realized then that he _was_ hurting her, far more deeply than the brunt of her battle wounds. It was so easy to say “Star should stay here” when looking at her parents or his own parents, trying to be selfless for her sake. But looking at her, sitting there so broken physically and emotionally, captivated by her pleading gaze and trying to say the same thing? It would’ve been a lie. He never wanted that face, those eyes or that voice to leave him. She’d carved her place into his soul for good.

Somehow he found himself at the edge of her bed, and she had unfurled her legs to let him sit beside her. And he got a good look at her arms and chest, the red raised gashes along her smooth skin. They might never fade completely. And it was all his fault.

Star reached for his right hand, lacing her ivory fingers gently through his tan ones. His grip tightened as he hung his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Marco?” His hand began to tremble in hers, and she tried to cup his chin to get him to look up. He shook his head, bringing his other hand to his face to hide it from her. But not before she saw his features start to crumble.

“I did this to you…” His voice was thick and crackly, making fresh tears roll down Star’s cheeks.

“No...oh no…” A flash of panic and compassion shot through her. He was crying. She’d _never_ seen him cry before.

“That’s why, Star…‘cause I did this.”

“Oh _Marco_.” She couldn’t have cared less about the dull ache in her arms when she pulled him against her, holding him as he heaved dry sobs into her neck.

Marco let his arms hang limply around her waist so he wouldn’t squeeze her too tightly as he broke down in her embrace. The immediate aftermath was a haze of voices and visions, but he remembered the whispers as he lay strapped to the bed: _“She may not survive the night...the Princess will die...we have to act quickly…”_ In the end, his own safety didn’t matter to him. Not when he could’ve lost her that night, and he let her scent wrap around him to assure that she was still here.

“I was so stupid,” Star whispered, digging her fingers into his thick hair as she cradled him. “I never should’ve cast that spell on you.”

“I got so mad at you over all this dumb stuff,” Marco croaked out, fingering her long blonde locks behind her back. “Not getting my black belt, the car…”

“You had every right to be mad at me.”

“But the monster arm? To hurt you like this?”

“That’s not your fault, Marco.”

“How can you say that?”

“‘Cause you wouldn’t even have it if it wasn’t for me!” He pulled back just enough to see her face, twisted in anguish and washed in tears. “I don’t know how it works, nobody does. All I wanted to do was help you, and I did it in the most thoughtless, reckless way.”

“Star, you’ve grown a lot since then.” Marco held her by the shoulders, “Your magic’s gotten so much better.”

“So what?” she blubbered, burying her face in her hands. “I thought so, too--I thought I could just f-forget about all those magical mistakes. But the w-worst one came back to bite me.” She clutched at the front of his hoodie, bowing her head against his chest. “I can’t even stand thinking this, b-but the truth is from the very first week I came, I-I ruined your life!”

And in that moment, it hit them both. They could keep going in circles, blaming themselves while refusing to let go of each other, yet feeling the need to for the other’s sake. Or they could agree to keep facing the monsters and nightmares side by side, lifting each other up at their best _and_ worst. Like two souls, bound together for eternity.

Marco knew the tides had shifted before he spoke, just as much to himself as to her. “Star, we...we can’t spend every day being afraid of what _might_ happen.”

“We just have to...deal with it as it comes,” Star added pensively, glancing back up at him. She brushed a tear off his jawline with her thumb as she hiccuped. “Marco please, let me come home with you.”

“I never wanted to leave you here,” he confessed, “I just thought it was the best option.”

Star shook her head, heat rising in her face. “Any option without you in it isn’t the best one.”

“Yeah, I get that now,” Marco felt a smile tug at his lips, his first in days. “It can be dangerous, being with you.”

“Pretty dangerous. But--”

“You’re worth the risk.” Their tear-filled eyes widened as they spoke in unison.

“Hey, we did--!”

“--that thing again!”

“Would you cut it out?!”

“Okay seriously, what _is_ that?!” Star exclaimed, instinctively reaching for her wand beside her.

“I’m not doing it on purpose, I swear!” Marco held up his hands innocently. “Maybe you jinxed me in your sleep or something.”

“I dunno,” Star eyed her wand suspiciously, “We don’t do that ‘saying-the-same-words’ thing all that much. But when we do, it’s  _weird_.”

“Really weird.” They were silent for a few moments, just feeling the intimacy between them. She was holding his hand again, he kept his right arm around her waist, as if to show her it wasn’t going to harm her. “Is this weird?”

“No, I like it.” Star’s face split into a toothy smile. “A lot, actually.” She didn’t need him to protect her, but he sure knew how to make her feel secure anyway. He smelled nice too, like cinnamon. “Marco?” She held his gaze in hers, “This might sound dumb but...the monster arm didn’t have anything to do with _us_ , did it? I mean, like, it doesn’t have to do with us having different, stronger feelings at all?”

Marco instantly shook his head, “No, it makes me wanna do terrible things--when I’m angry or disappointed or sad. I was feeling all those things last week. You crashing the car was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Star blinked in confusion, “You don’t have a camel.”

“Nevermind,” Marco deadpanned. “The point is, I don’t feel any of those things when I think about you. You get on my nerves sometimes, on days when I don’t wanna jump through eight different dimensions but you drag me along anyway. But you always wind up making me laugh, and your smile’s contagious, and--”

He was rambling now, but she hung on his every word, waiting for him to go on after he stopped himself. Instead he brought their clasped hands to his chest. “I regret a lot of things right now, but taking this next step with you isn’t one of them. You didn’t ruin my life, Star. You made it better than I ever thought it could be.”

“ _Marco_ ,” she cooed out, feeling her eyes water again as he reached up to dry her face. “You’re just--so good at words, and I just--all I can do is hug you and say you made my life better too, but that sounds so lame compared to you--”

“I get it, Star,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to say anything else.” He kept his hand cupped around her face, hers resting against his chest. She was in prime position to push him away once she realized his eyes were lingering on her lips. But she didn’t want to, and rather snaked her hands up and around his neck.

“Star? Can I...um…?”

She was so touched by him asking her permission that she almost laid one on him right there. Instead, she just nodded and closed her eyes, feeling his face draw closer to hers.

It was soft and warm, chaste yet lasted a good minute or so, their lips still salty from crying. Their noses bumped one too many times. It was so...them.

“Whoa,” Marco breathed, seeing her hearts glow brightly when he opened his eyes. Star kept her eyes shut, smiling rather goofily as her innate magic receded from her face before her lids fluttered open.

“Wanna know a secret?” She shifted uncharacteristically shyly, “That was my first.”

“Wait, what?” This was a shocker. “You mean you never kissed Tom?”

“On the cheek, maybe one peck on the lips, but not like _that_ ,” Star giggled. “I was thirteen, I didn’t really _love_ him or anything.” She lowered her eyes, “Was I okay?”

“ _Okay?_ ” Marco’s lips were still tingling. Maybe it was because it was a kiss from a magical princess from Mewni, but the sensation was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He’d kissed Jackie a couple times when they were going out, but this was some whole other level. It was otherworldly. “You were...amazing.”

“Thanks. You were pretty great, too."

“So...you love me then?” Marco asked, keeping her close in his arms.

Her hearts blushed bright red. “I...might. Is that too weird?”

“You’ve told me a lot of weird things, Star. Strangely enough, that’s not one of them. It feels nice to hear it, actually. ‘Cause I might...love you...too?”

Star snorted, “Is that a question? Well, the answer is…” She took his right arm from around her waist and brought his hand to her lips. “I’m not scared of you or the monster arm, Marco. But I’m a little scared of loving you.”

“Me too,” Marco sighed out. “But don’t worry, I’m gonna be right here the whole time.”

“That’ll do it!” Star trilled, pressing her forehead against his as he went in for kiss number two. “Whoo, Marco--my parents are downstairs.”

“Then let’s hope your dad’s the one that catches us.”

* * *

“River, you’ll want to see this.”

“Hmm?” He and his wife had gone up to check on Star as the morning became afternoon, noticing how quiet it was within her bed chambers. It was Moon who cracked the door open slightly, River peeking around her tall frame curiously. “Is Marco still there?”

She nudged the door open a bit wider, and the king’s face broke into a smile worthy of a child on Christmas morning. His daughter was snoring gawkishly, fast asleep in the arms of the boy who wouldn’t go near her a few hours prior, who now also slept with his head against hers. At last, they both looked peaceful and content. Now they could all move forward together.

“Well whom shall I summon first, the caterers or the dressmaker?!” the king hissed, dancing a little jig in place.

“River, don’t be ridiculous, they’re sixteen,” Moon whispered back. “Marco needs to complete his Earth education, and Star will have to go through years of queen training before she marries.” She paused. “Besides, the dress comes first, that’s obvious.”

“What size hat do you think he wears? We’ll have to get a crown made for him at once--”

“Come along, River.” She grabbed him and pulled him back down the corridor.

“But--but look at them.” River’s eyes grew wide. “They’re so--”

“Exactly.” She took one last look at her daughter, shifting in her sleep against Marco’s chest at their noise, before closing the door once more. “Let’s not ruin it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are great, but comments are better :)


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